Double-hinged door



June 25, 1957 w..1. VAN METER DOUBLE-HINGED DOOR lll/IIA lnwvllzrl1111,11ll/Illllllllllllllll Filed June 25, 1949 IN VEN TOR.

WILLIAM JOS. VAN METER g DIJBLEHNGED D001?L lilliam 3. Van Meter, l/Iacon, Mo.

Appiication dune 25, 1949, Serial No. 101,4;17

11 Claims.V (Cl. 16147j This invention relates to' doors and other closures and to' means for hingedly supporting the closures and to locking means and more particularly to mechanisms whereby a door may be opened fromf'either side, though itis noted thatinsorne of the'claims the invention is not limited to doors that open on either side.

This vinvention'is particularly suitable for refrigerators, cabinetsandother articles of furniture for which the most convenient location in a room may be against a wall which may make it inconvenient to have the door open at the side neXt to the wall. Circumstances may require that thefurniture'be movedto another location requiring the doorl to. be opened fromV the other side. An object ofthe invention'is to` providev furniture suitable for all such locations.

Also..l this invention"A is suitable for doors of buildings where arrangement of furniture oriV other conditions may requirey lchat the' doorfbe' openediatione side or/the other.

Another object ofthey invention. is toprovide an imroved arrangement of this.kindrwhereintthe-hinge pin operates'both. asa locking boltandfa hinge pin.

The invention relates to. novely improvements4 in door hingingrand boltingor'ilatching means" and has for another object to providel an improvedconstructionV of this character whichwill behighly'eicientfiniuse and economical inmanufacture.

Other objects-of the inventionare to providela simple combination and arrangementofpartsjnthhinge structuresof a door whichwvill facilitate and make very easy the opening, closingorboltingof the door at either side of theV door.:

A further object .of thefinventionzis' the. provision of a simple control mechanism for holding the hinge. bolt operating means in a-bolting hingingpositionto prevent the` door from beingi opened at the bolted side when it iseopen at the other` side.

A further object of the invention is to provide aflatch bolt' arrangement which will not cause resistance to the closing and opening; of .thedoor Additional objects of theinvention are to' eiect' simplicityand eliciency in such locking mechanism and to provide anextremelyfsimple mechanism of this kind which is-easy, durable, and reliable'in operation, andreconomical to manufacture and install.

Still other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds; and while herein details of the invention are described in th'especitication'and some.V of the. claims, theinvention asv described in the broader claims is notlimited to these, and many and various changes maybe made without departingfrom the scope of the invention as claimed in the broader claims.

The inventive features for the accomplishment ofthese and otherobject's are shown herein in connection wiih a' door "mounting and latching mechanism which briey stated` is shown inV combination with a door having at each side afpair of alinedibolts slidably biased into corner openingsiof the door frame. A handle adjacent to and operatively connectedwith each pair of alined bolts serves vfor withdrawing the bolts. A rearwardly biased latch bolt, a distance equalto the travel of the bolt.

Patented June 25, 1957 fic 2, member ateach side olithe door has a projection. e'ngageable with the frame when the door is, closed and biased to engagefand. hold the detentV lugs of the adjacent bolts when the boltsarewithdrawnand the adjacent side of the door is. opened. A bar guided. across the door is at each end engageable with adjacentbolts to hold the bolts against withdrawal; and an operative connection between, each handle and'v they bar insures that operation of the handle willy cause the adjacent end of the bar to clear the adjacent bolts and move to hold the other bolts against withdrawal.V Each: latch member when the adjacent side of the door is opened is biased to hold the bar against movement :away from the bolts at the other side of the door.

In the accompanying drawing showing, by way of eX- ample, one of manyV possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a fragmental front elevation partly in vertical section showing 'the bolt` control mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental horizontalsectional view, partly in plan, thesection being taken'substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. l, looking-in the direction of thearrows of said line;

Fig. 3 is a fragmental vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, the section being taken substantially on the 1ine'3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows of said line;,and

Fig. 4 is a fragmental side elevation drawn on a larger scale, partlyl in section substantially on the line 4*-4 of Fig, 2, looking in the direction-of thearrows of said line.

My improved double hinged door isl shown in combinaf tion with aY door frame 6 having upper .and lower frame members 7, 8, rearwardly' converged Iside faces 9 and frontwardly facingrnarrow stop faces 1% at the rear edges of said side faces. The upperand lower frame members have near their ends axially vertically alined inwardly tapering hinge pin socket'openings 11.

The door is shown as-substantially hollow and having parallel front andrrear walls 12,13 and rearwardly converging Iside wallsrlS:iittinglyy engageable with said converging faces 9, .therear Wall 13 being a removable panel. Blocks or bars 16 have parts in the four corners ofy *the door provided with guide bores 17 alined with said openings in which, bores are slidablevlocking. hinge bolts 18 providedwithtapering; end partsrOtatab-ly ttingvin said openings 11'. Shanks-.19 of angular crossasection fast on and alined withsaid bolts and extending a distance in the interior of `the door are provided at the free end and intermediate parts respectively with detent and actuationlugs 20, 21 projecting toward the opposite lside of the door. Y

Said bolts, shanksand lugs are duplicated at opposite sides of Ithe door, as are also all operative parts associated therewith.

Guide bracket plates-23 fast on adjacent walls of the door transverse to the Shanks are provided with angular openings httingly slidably, non-rotatively receiving the Shanks 19. A helical locking spring 24 on each shank compressedI between the guide vbracket plate 23 and a colla-r 25 fast on each shank serves for yieldably moving the bolts into the socket openings 11. Upper and lower bearing bracketsZi adjacent to each alined pair of Shanks 19 are mounted onV the inner face of the front wall and are provided with vertically axially alined bearing openings near said actuation lugs 21 carrying an actuating shaft 2S having reduced bearing ends 29 in said bearing openings. Helical cams 3) on said shaft are normally disposed near lthe front wall 12 with aA rear corner 31 (Fig. 3) of the camA engaged with the face of the actuation lug 21 neat-esti the bolt. The outer corner 32 of the cam nearest the'frontwall is more distant from the A handle member 33 fast on' said shaftV has a radial portion 34 V y 3i extending through an opening 35 (Fig. 2) in the front wall, and a handle portion 36 on the free end of the radial portion normally extending substantially parallel with thefront wall and pointing toward the opposite side of the door.` Y

A spring 37 Ymounted on the front wall of the door and pressing on a linger 37' carried on the shaft 28 urges the handle to a position to allow the boltsfto engage in the socket opening. Y Y When the handle portion ofi either handle member is pulled frontwardly, the cams 30 cam the actuation lugs 21 of the adjacent shanks 19 inwardly and withdraw the bolts 18 from the socket openings 11 and allow the adjacent side of the door to open, and allow the door to hinge on the undrawn bolts on the opposite side of the door.

The rear wall of the door has a horizontally elongated opening 39 adjacent to the adjacent 'stop face 10, the axis of the hole passing through the hole being axially alined with a point between the adjacent detent lugs 20. A latch member 40 comprising a hollow cylindrical body 41Yopen at the front end and closed at its rear end has a reduced rear end portion 42 of elongated cross section slidably and non-rotatively fitting in said elongated opening 39. Upper and lower radial extensions 43 on the front end of the body extending in a plane frontward and spaced from the adjacent detent Vlugs 20, are each provided with a rearwardly projecting latch lug 44 projecting in rearward or door closing direction adjacent to the adjacent detent lug 20. A guide rod 45 mounted fast on the front wall alined with and slidably received in the hollow body 41 has a transverse inner end face engaged by a helical latch spring '46 in said 'body compressed between said transverse face and closed inner end of the body. When the hinge bolts 18 are withdrawn, moving the detent lugs to an inner position 20a, and when the adjacent side of the door is opened, said latch spring 46 moves the latch member Vto move the latch lugs 44 adjacent to the outer face of the detent lugs 20 to hold them and the bolts in withdrawn position until the door is again closed, causing engagement of the reduced end 42 of the latch member with said stop face to push back the latch member and release the -detent lugs from the latch lugs 44 and allowthe locking spring 24 to drive the bolts 18 into socket openings 11.

Transversely alined guide brackets 45' mounted on opposite sides of the mid-part of the outer wall 12 and having angular guide openings slidably receive a control bar 47 of angular cross-section extending across the door in the p-lane of said Shanks 19, said bar being engaged and frictionally held in any position to which it may be moved vby a friction spring 47 mounted on a bracket 45. The bar 47 is bifurcated at each end to provide a pair of tapered detent ends 48 engageable over the inner faces of the detent lugs 20, at one side of the door only at a time, to hold the bolts 18'fr0m being withdrawn from the socket openings. The length of the control bar is such that the detent lugs at one side only of the door may be cleared at the same time. A rearwardly disposed bracket 49 on the control bar has a laterally disposed engagement part 50 engageable with a rearwardly disposed radial control finger 51 on each handle shaft 28 on the side of the finger remote from the adjacent shanks, whereby when the handle is pulled, the bar is moved or held to cause the adjacent detent ends 48 to clear the adjacent detent lugs 20 to allow the adjacent bolts to be withdrawn; Ywhile the detent ends 48 at the other end of the bar are moved or held to engage over the detent lugs at said other Vend to prevent the withdrawal of the bolts at the side adjacent to such ends.

Each end of the control bar 47 has an end face 54 between the detent ends 48. The latch member body 41 is provided at its outer end with an inwardly facing abutment piece or lug 55. When a handle is pulled, the finger '51 causes the adjacent end face 54 to move in a plane parallel to the length of said piece 55 until the face 54 and the inner free end of said piece are in approximately the same plane and the face 54 clears the end of said piece 55, and then when the door is opened said piece 55 moves rearwardly to facesaid end face 54 to prevent the bar 47 from moving toward such piece 55, thus preventing the detent ends 48 at the other end of the bar 47 from being removed from the detent lugs 20.

The operation of the invention will be obvious from the foregoing. The door being closed, if the left side of the door as in Fig. 1 is to be opened, the handle 36 at thatside is pulled, causing the bar 47 to be held or moved to the right so that the detent ends 48 clear the adjacent bolts before the cams 30 retract the adjacent bolts 18. At the same time the detent ends 48 at the right of the door hold the bolts at the right against withdrawal, and the bar 47 is Ydisposed behind the lug 55 at the right to hold it and consequently the rear end'portion 42 against rearward movement when the door opens. 'Ihe engagement of the inclined or cam face of the detent end 48 with the inclined or cam face of the detent lug 20 assures maximum engagement of the associated bolt 18 in its socket opening 11.

After the bolts 18 at the left are thus withdrawn, coutinued pullon the left handle 36 opens the door, and allows the latch member at the left to be moved rear-V wardly by the spring 46, causing the latch lugs 44 to engage the side of the detent lugs 20 nearest the bolts, thus to hold the bolts retracted in the position 20a. When this takes place the abutment piece of the latch member 40 is moved rearwardly and placed opposite to the left end face 54 of the bar 47 to hold the bar against leftward movement away from the ends of the Shanks 19 lat the Yright of the door, thus to prevent the withdrawal of the bolts at the right. When the handle is released the spring .37 engaging the finger 37 restores the handle to the position of the full lines of Fig. 2.

Manipulation of the handle 36 is not necessary when the door is reclosed, as the door may be merely pushed closed. When the door is reclosed, the reduced rear end portion 42 engages the stop face 10 causing the latch memjber 40 to be restored to the position of the solid lines of Fig. 4, thus releasing the detent lugs 20, Iallowing the bolts 18, to be projected into the sockets 11 and disposing the piece 55 away from the face 54.

The operation of opening the door at the right side of the door is effected by pulling on the handle at the right side of the door and is substantially the same as for the |left side as will be readily understood.

I claim `as my invention:

1. In combination, a door having at each side a pair of yieldably projected bolts each having a detent shoulder; a movable handle adjacent to and operatively connected with each of said pairs for withdrawing the bolts; a latch member within the door adjacent to each of said pairs and biased to project from the `door and adapted when the bolts are withdrawn to move to a holding position to engage and hold the detent'shoulders; a movable 'assembly having parts engageable with the bolts at one .s1de at a time to hold the bolts against withdrawal; a connection between each handle and said assembly adapted 'when a handle is operated to move the assembly to cause -said parts to clear the adjacent bolts and move to hold '.the other bolts against withdrawal; each latch member D `being fonned to engage and hold the adjacent part of the assembly against movement to a holding position to hold the adjacent bolts and to hold the other parts of the assembly against movement to clear the opposite bolts, when the latch member is moved to said holding position.

2. In combination, a door adapted to be disposed in a door-iframe having corner socket openings at both sides; .pairs of alinedl bolts slidably'mounted in the door and positioned to be biased into said openings and provided `with detent lugs; a handle adjacent to and operatively connected withe'ach pair of alined bolts forwithdrawing aveaeaa the bolts; a latch memberl biased in door closing direction at each side of the door engageable with the frame and biased to engage and` hold the adjacent detent lugs when the bolts are withdrawn andthe adjacent side of the' door is opened; a'bar longitudinally slidably guided across the door and at each end engageable with adjacent bolts to hold the bolts against withdrawal; an'operative connection between each handle and the bar to cause operation of the handle to move to cause the adjacent end of the bar to clear the adjacent/bolts and moveto hold the other bolts against withdrawal; each latch member when the adjacent side of the door is opened being biased to engage and hold the bar. against movement toward such latch member. l

3. In combination, a hollow door having a front wall; pairsof' alined-bolts'a'tthe'respective side edges of the door slidably'bias'ed' from theA door and vprovided with lateral lugs and detentshonlde'rs; an actuating shaft rotatably mounted i'n the door adjacent and parallel to each pair of alinedN bolt's;"helical`cam`s on'each shaft engageable with the face of adjacent lug nearest the bolt; a handle on eachrshaft extending parallel to and rontwardly of the front'door wall, and means engageable with the shoulders for holding the bolts retracted.

4. In combination, a door; pairs ofalined bolts mounted in the door and slidably biased to project from the door; a handle adjacent to and operatively connected with each pair of alined bolts for withdrawing the bolts; a latch member biased in door closing direction at each side of the door; a bar guided across the door and at each end portion having detent ends engageablevwith adjacent bolts to hold the bolts against withdrawal; an operative connection between each handle and the bar to move the bar to clear the adjacent bolts and move to engage and hold the other detent ends to a position to hold the bolts against withdrawal; said bar having end faces between the detent ends; each latch member being provided with an abutment lug having an abrupt end face facing toward the control bar, and adapted to face said end face of the control bar when the latch member is moved in door closing direction, to prevent the detent ends at the other end of the bar from being removed from adjacent bolts.

5. A door having at each side a pair of alined oppositely yieldably projected bolts; means adjacent to and operatively connected with each of said pairs for withdrawing the bolts; a biased one-piece latch member adjacent to each of said pairs and adapted when the bolts are withdrawn to be urged to engage and hold the adjacent bolts withdrawn; a single bar guided across the door and engageable with the bolts at one side at a time to hold the bolts against Withdrawal; each of said means being constructed and adapted when such means is operated to withdraw the' adjacent bolts and to move to cause the bar to move to clear the adjacent bolts and hold the other bolts against withdrawal; each latch member being constructed to engage and hold the bar against movement toward such latch member and from the opposite bolts when the latch member is moved to engage the adjacent bolts.

6. In an assembly for movable mounting and holding a door in a frame, the Icombination of a pair of alined oppositely yieldably projected bolts at each side of the door, each having an actuation shoulder; a handle pivoted adjacent to each of said pairs; parts operatively connected with each handle for engaging adjacent actuation shoulders for withdrawing the bolts; means to hold the withdrawn bolts withdrawn when the adjacent side of the door is open and to release the bolts when the door is closed; a bar guided across the door and engageable with the bolts at one side at a time to hold the bolts against withdrawal and having an actuating shoulder adjacent to each handle; a part connected to each handle and adapted when a handle is operated to push upon the shoulder of the bar to cause the bar to clear the adjacent bolts and hold the other bolts against withdrawal; yieldable means adjacent to each handle, operative each time said handle is operated to automatically restore the'handle to normal regardless of the position of the door, bar andbolts, and to causesaid parts to disengage the actuating shoulders when the barsand boltsrhave been actuated; whereby after the handle is automatically restored, the door may be closed and the bolts released withoutfany movement of the handle relative to the door. Y

7. In an assembly for movably mounting a door in a door' frame, the combination of a pair of alined oppositely yieldably projected bolts at each side of the door; a single bar slidably disposed transversely across the door and positioned and constructed to be moved to engage bothfbolts at one side only at a time to hold the bolts against withdrawal; and a one-piece latch member slidably mounted adjacent to each pair of bolts and biased to engage the door frame and be held in an inner position when the dooris closed and biased to move to a projected position'when the door is open; each latch member being positioned and constructed When in projected position to engage and hold the bar against movement toward such latch member and against movement from holding the opposite bolts.

8'. In an assembly for movably mounting a door in a door frame, the combination of a pair of alined oppositely yieldably projected bolts atteach side of the door; a single bar slidably disposed across the door and positioned and Vconstructedto -be moved to engage both bolts at one side only at a time to hold the bolts against withdrawal; operating means mounted on the door adjacent to each pair of bolts operatively engaged with each adjacent bolt to withdraw the bolts, and carrying a part operatively engaged with the bar to withdraw the bar from said adjacent bolts and to move the bar to engage and hold withdrawal of the other pair of bolts; and a latch member slidably mounted adjacent to each pair of bolts and biased to engage the door frame and be held in an inner position out of engagement with said bolts when the door is closed and biased to move to a projected position when the door is open; each latch member being positioned, constructed and adapted 'when in projected position and the bolts have been Withdrawn, to engage the adjacent bolts and hold the bolts withdrawn, and to engage and hold the bar against movement toward such latch member and the adjacent bolts.

9. In an assembly for fastening a door, the combination of pairs of alined bolts at the respective side edges of the door slidably biased to project an end from the door and each provided with a lateral lug, an actuating shaft rotatably mounted in the door adjacent and parallel to each pair of alined bolts; helical cams on each shaft each engageable with the face of the adjacent lug of the nearest bolt; a handle on each shaft extending substantially horizontally parallel and frontwardly of the door.

10. In an assembly for movably mounting a door in a door frame, the combination of a pair ot alined oppositely yieldably projected bolts at each side of the door; a single bar longitudinally slidably disposed transversely across the door and positioned and constructed to be moved to directly engage both bolts at one side only at a time to hold the bolts against withdrawal; operating means adjacent to each pair of bolts operatively engaged with each adjacent bolt to withdraw the bolts, and operatively connected with the bar to Withdraw the bar from said adjacent bolts before withdrawal of the bolts and to move the bar to engage and hold against Withdrawal the other pair of bolts; and a latch member slidably mounted adjacent to each pair of bolts and biased to engage the door frame and be held in an inner position when the door is closed and biased to move to a projected position when the door is open; each latch member having rigid thereon an abutinent piece positioned and constructed when the latch member is in inner position to clear said bar, and when the latch member s in projected position to engage'the adjacent end ofthe bar and hold the bar against movement from engagement withthe opposite bolts.

11. In an assembly for movably mounting a door having a rear opening in a door frame having corner sockets, the combination of a pair of alined oppositely yieldably projected bolts at each side of the door engageable in said sockets and each provided with a lateral detent lug; a handle adjacent to and operatively connected with each of said pairs for retracting the bolts; a single bar longitudinally slidably disposed across the door and positioned and constructed to be moved to engage both bolts at one side only at a time to hold the bolts against Withdrawal; handle operated operating means adjacent to each pair of bolts operatively engaged with each adjacent pair of bolts to withdraw the bolts, and operatively connected with the bar to Withdraw the bar from said adjacent bolts before Withdrawal of the bolts and to move the bar to engage and hold against Withdrawal of the other pair of bolts; a latch member at each of said sides adjacent to said lugs and comprising a rear end portion slidablyvtting in said opening, and engageable with the frame when the door is closed; spring means for yieldably pressing the latch member rearwardly against the door frame 'when the door is closed and to a projected position when the door is open; each member having upper and lower extension frontward and spaced from the adjacent detent lugs and provided with rearwardly projecting latch lugs adjacent the detent lugsA and engageable'with the outer face of the detent lugs to hold the bolts retracted whenv theV bolts areV retracted and the door is open and said member is in said projected position; each latch member being provided With an abutment piece rigid thereon positioned and constructed WhenV the latch member is in' projected position and the bolts have been retracted, to'engage the adjacent end face ofthe bar and hold the bar against movement toward such latch member and against movement from engagement with and 'holding the opposite bolts.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

